Eastern Michigan University Athletics

Entering his fourth year at EMU is Sean Coughlin, who came to Ypsilanti after spending the two years at Arkansas State University. Coughlin serves as EMU’s Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach/Co-Offensive Run Game Coordinator.

     Coughlin owns 22 years of coaching experience in the college ranks, having coached the offensive line at both the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) ranks.

     Prior to his arrival in Ypsilanti,  Coughlin spent  two years with Arkansas State University as the offensive line coach and Run Game Coordinator. In two seasons with the Red Wolves, A-State posted highlight wins over Florida International in the 2019 Camellia Bowl as well as a 35-31 upset of Kansas State in 2020.

Coughlin’s run-game and offensive line continued to soar in 2023, as long-time Eagles’ offensive tackle Brian Dooley signed a free agent contract for the Tennessee Titans after collecting the third All-MAC honor of his career, as he was named third team. The all-time leader in career games played (62) and started (60) at EMU, he was on the field for 4,0541 career snaps, the Bowling Green, Ohio, product allowed quarterback pressures on just four percent of his all-time offensive snaps.

    Dooley made national headlines with an incredibly selfless act that earned him the 2023 Disney Spirit Award. Since 1996 the Disney Spirit Award has been presented every year by Walt Disney World Resort to the most inspirational figures in college football. The award was created to honor people like Dooley who demonstrate an indomitable spirit and a willingness to help others. His dedication to the community is impressive, having participated in a mission trip to Guatemala and regularly volunteering in schools near campus where he has logged more than 100 hours. But perhaps his most selfless act came ahead of the 2023 season when he gave his full-ride scholarship to a fellow lineman who was working construction and donating plasma to try and pay for tuition.

As for the running game in the 2023 campaign, Jaylon Jackson earned All-MAC Second Team honors, marking his second consecutive all-conference nod as he was named first team after the 2022 season. The Burleson, Texas, product was one of just five MAC players to record a kick return for a touchdown this season and one of just 36 nationwide to do so.  Jackson ranked 39th nationally with an average of 21.4 yards per kick return.

Along with Jackson, Samson Evans excelled with the ball in his hands as he produced 12 rushing touchdowns in 2023, marking his third straight season cracking the double-digit mark, becoming the first Eagle to do so. Evans ended his EMU career on the mountaintop when it comes to career touchdowns as he notched 40 in 41 career games as an Eagle. His 2023 season culminated in a rookie camp invite from the Miami Dolphins, becoming one of three Eagles to earn an NFL opportunity following the 2023 campaign. Evans also earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America, making him the fourth player in program history to have garnered the accolade.

    Year two for Coughlin proved to be just as fruitful as his first. Under the coaching and mentorship of Coughlin, offensive lineman Sidy Sow was named All-MAC First Team, marking his third consecutive season garnering all-conference honors, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Brian Dooley also took home Second Team All-MAC, his second straight season earning an all-conference selection.

     Behind the EMU offensive line, the rushing attack thrived. Eastern led the MAC in 2023 with 25 rushing touchdowns, and landed two ball carriers on the all-conference teams as Jaylon Jackson earned First Team honors, while Samson Evans was selected to the second team. Evans was also named a Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate and was named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week, Sept. 19 and Nov. 28 and tabbed MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Week, Nov. 2 and Nov. 16. 

Coughlin was not only an on field mentor, but one for academics as well. Under the leadership of Coughlin, four Green and White offensive lineman were named Academic All-MAC selections in the 2022 campaign.

Coughlin’s first season with the Green and White resulted in numerous team and individual accomplishments within his offensive line unit. EMU’s offense was one of the best scoring units in the Mid-American Conference regular season in 2021.

 Averaging 31.0 points per game, EMU put up 372 total points on 46 touchdowns, 15 field goals, and 45 extra points behind the protection of Coughlin’s offensive line. In total, 14 different Eagles found the pay dirt in 2021, including five players who scored multiple touchdowns. Samson Evans led all Eagles and ranked fourth in the league with 12 touchdowns. That number is the seventh-most in a single season by any Eastern player. Additionally, quarterback Ben Bryant ranked inside the nation’s top-12 with a 69 percent completion percentage, and became just the third quarterback in EMU history to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark through the air.

     Individually, Coughlin mentored a pair of All-MAC selections in Sidy Sow (first team), and Brian Dooley (third team). Earning All-MAC accolades for the second time in his career, Sow emerged as one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the conference during the 2021 campaign, while Dooley blossomed into an All-league player for the first time under the leadership of Coughlin.

      Elsewhere, Coughlin also helped to mold senior center Mike Van Hoeven into a First Team Academic All-American.

     Van Hoeven, who boasted a 3.96 GPA, becamethe first EMU student-athlete in the football program’s history to be named a First Team Academic All-American. Additionally, he is just the sixth player in Eastern Michigan history to collect first team honors.

     A Second Team Academic All-American in 2020, Van Hoeven joins Ken Bruchanski (Baseball - 1974 & 1975), Chrzanowski (2006 & 2007), Don Ellison (Swimming - 2008 & 2009), and Willy Fink (Men’s Track/Cross Country - 2016 & 2017) as the only players in EMU history to garner the honor twice in a career.

     In 2020, the Red Wolves led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked 14th nationally in total offense at 489.7 yards per game. As for passing offense, Arkansas State led the Sun Belt and ranked third in the nation at 364.4 yards per game.

     In 2019, Arkansas State put up impressive numbers behind Coughlin’s offensive line, ranking No. 10 in the country in passing offense (312.1 ypg), No. 14 in team passing efficiency (157.55), No. 26 in scoring offense (33.7 ppg), and No. 33 in both total offense (439.3 ypg) and red zone offense (.889).

     The Red Wolves posted 5,711 yards of total offense for the sixth-most in school history, while their 6.2 yards-per-play average tied the second best mark ever by an A-State team.  The squad completed the year with top-10 marks in program history in 12 different statistical categories, including most points (438, 7th) and most touchdowns (54, 6th).

     The Red Wolves’ offensive line in 2019 featured four All-Sun Belt Conference selections, including third-team picks Jarrett Horst and Jacob Still, and honorable-mention choices Andre Harris Jr. and Ivory Scott.  The Red Wolves excelled behind an offensive line that featured four new starters in 2019.

      Horst received the Gary Withrow Award, presented annually to A-State’s outstanding offensive lineman of the year, and has been tabbed to the 2020 Outland Trophy Watch List.  Harris was named to the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List as well.

      Coughlin arrived in Jonesboro, Ark. after spending the previous 13 seasons at Missouri State.  He was elevated to associate head coach for the 2018 campaign and served as the Bears’ co-offensive coordinator since 2016.

     Coughlin also oversaw the offensive line since 2008 after previously serving as the tight ends and fullbacks coach his first two years with the program. During his tenure, Coughlin’s linemen earned Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Offensive Lineman of the Week honors 14 times, with 13 all-conference selections and five NFL players.

     In 2010, standout lineman David Arkin earned consensus All-America and second-team Academic All-America honors before being picked by Dallas in the 2011 NFL Draft. Former Bears Jake Duron and Riley Shantz also inked free agent contracts during Coughlin’s tenure.

     Coughlin also mentored Clay Harbor, a consensus All-American tight end and NFL Draft pick to the Eagles in 2010, as well as Randy Richards, an AP and AFCA All-America selection. Richards enjoyed NFL stints with the Chargers and Buccaneers before catching on in the CFL with Saskatchewan and Calgary.

     The 2001 Drake University graduate was a standout offensive lineman from his playing days. A three-time All-Pioneer Conference offensive guard for the Bulldogs, he was a first-team all-conference choice from 1998-2000 and earned All-America honors from Football Gazette his final two seasons. He was team captain in 2000.

     Coughlin coached three seasons (2001-03) at his alma mater, working with the offensive line and tight ends for the Bulldogs while mentoring two all-conference first team linemen.

     He joined the Iowa State offensive staff in 2004 and spent two seasons there while pursuing his master’s in higher education (2006).

     The Kildeer, Ill., native earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Drake in 2001. 

     He and his wife, Haley, have daughters, Maddie and Natalia.